A Silver Ring
by quicksilver-wind
Summary: War pulls them together and tears them apart. Now, Draco's sudden rise to fame has drawn Ginny back to the man who forgot her but who she cannot forget. Not quite a songfic but there are several songs involved. K for mention of drinking.
1. Reformed on the Radio

Summary: War brings them together and tears them apart. Years later, Draco rises to fame and Ginny is drawn back to the man who has forgotten her. Not quite a songfic but there is a definite soundtrack.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but the characters and background are the property of JKR. All of the lyrics are borrowed from artists, though I've changed a few words here and there to make them fit.

A/N: All the characters might seem a little OOC, especially Draco, given that he's never really indicated that a career as a singer is in the books, but the plot bunnies attacked and I couldn't help it.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Reformed on the radio**

Ginny sat bolt upright in bed, the feeble light of dawn filtering through her window. She wasn't sure what had startled her so badly. Her mind had gone back to her sixth year at Hogwarts, to a desperate kiss in a deserted hallway, and a desperate declaration that had been forgotten as easily as it had been given.

Then she heard it. It was unmistakable, but impossible. How could that voice be filling her ears, filling the silence of the Burrow in the morning? It took her a moment to realize - the voice was coming from the wireless.

_I need a little more help than a little bit_

_Like the perfect one word no one's heard yet_

_Cuz every time that I try I get tongue tied_

_I need a little good luck to get me by this time_

_I know it feels like the end_

_Don't want to be here again_

_And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again_

_What it takes I don't care_

_We're gonna make it I swear_

_And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again_

(_Tongue Tied - Faber Drive)_

"And folks that was Tongue Tied, by the brand new band, Reformed! This is the first time their music has been heard on the WWN, and wow! We're definitely looking forward to the next hit. Next, we have the Weird Sisters' latest single, Hit like a Hippogriff..." The announcer rambled on about the song, but the redhead tuned it out. She recognized the voice of the singer - Draco Malfoy.

It was July, and she had graduated Hogwarts. At last, she was a woman, but she couldn't bear to move out of the Burrow. She'd broken it off with Harry shortly after the battle, and he was currently dating a pretty French witch who she liked a great deal. She hadn't had the heart to stay with Harry after the events leading up to the battle, and to be frank, both of them were rather relieved. Kissing each other felt bizarre, rather akin to what she imagined kissing Ron would be like.

Today, hearing his voice, brought back all of the memories, and though she successfully contained her tears, she was so pale when she went downstairs that her mother sent her back to bed.

Days, and then weeks past, and she went back to her old self despite the constant playing of Tongue Tied. Draco had been shot suddenly to stardom, and his face was plastered everywhere, but she ignored him. Ginny was an orderly creature, and anything that disturbed that order was unwelcome. She had her rules, and avoiding him was one of them.

When the album was released, she didn't go get it, even though she wanted to. She found herself constantly keeping the wireless on, but that wasn't to hear his voice. Of course not. She heard one day that they'd gone on tour, but she didn't check where. She didn't check when they'd be nearby.

It was Luna who caught on first. The girls had become close in their year of shared torture under the hands of death eaters, and Luna had witnessed what had happened, and the devastation that Malfoy left in his path without knowing it. It was Luna who owled her a card with the tickets inside.

Reformed was on a world tour, but they would be in London on the fifth of October, and though Ginny stuffed the tickets away, she booked the day off work just in case. This was probably how she and Luna found themselves Apparating into Diagon Alley at eight o'clock on a Friday night, ready to go see Reformed.


	2. The Concert and the Trial

Summary: War brings them together and tears them apart. Years later, Draco rises to fame and Ginny is drawn back to the man who has forgotten her. Not quite a songfic but there is a definite soundtrack.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but the characters and background are the property of JKR. All of the lyrics are borrowed from artists, though I've changed a few words here and there to make them fit.

A/N: All the characters might seem a little OOC, especially Draco, given that he's never really indicated that a career as a singer is in the books, but the plot bunnies attacked and I couldn't help it. Please read and review!

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Concert and the Trial**

They snuck in the back. Ginny desperately wanted to be in the front row, where he could stretch out his hand and brush her fingers, but she calmly led Luna to the back. That was how Ginny lived these days, in the back row. She watched, and observed, and then slipped away slowly. She was unaware that maturity had treated her very well indeed. The gangly Weasley girl with the carrot-top and freckles was now a beautiful young woman with curves in all of the right places, alabaster skin, and long, glorious hair that made her seem somehow ephemeral beneath the flashing strobe. Unlike her brother, and unlike many of her friends, Ginny had not taken her post-war celebrity and made something of herself with it. She was not an international Quidditch star like Harry and Ron were, or the Head of the Department of Mysteries, like Hermione, or a famous children's writer like Luna. Luna was sad to note that in the chaos and flickering lights of the concert hall, Ginny looked almost ghostly, ready to slip away at any moment.

Suddenly, the lights darkened, and then exploded in a magical display of light and colour. Amid the spectacle, the four band members emerged. She knew them all of course - Reformers meant reformed Death Eaters, and she noticed that they all wore thick bands around their forearms to cover the marks. At the back, on the drums, was Blaise Zabini, and beside him on the electric guitar was Theodore Nott, and at the front, beside the singer, was the violinist whose haunting melodies ran through the songs - Daphne Greengrass. Ginny's eyes were then dragged irrevocably where she commanded them not to go. Draco Malfoy, holding a guitar, was more than the boy she remembered, and she found herself aching to be with him again. She wanted him to look at her, even for just a second. Even though he forgot.

"_Sonorus_," whispered Draco, his voice velvety, and all of the girls screamed.

When he began to sing, she felt all of her rules shatter. She was torn between what she knew she should do - run out the back door - and what she craved. Him.

At a break in the music, he smiled out into the audience, and her heart melted. Before the war, he had never smiled like that. She was the one who that smile had been reserved for. But he had forgotten.

Luna too was entranced, but she hadn't forgotten the purpose of the concert. She glanced over at her friend and was surprised to see tears glistening in Ginny's eyes and a peaceful smile on her lips.

The other girl was singing along. For all of her declarations that she never listened to their music, Ginny knew all the words. Some of the songs she pretended were written for her. It was impossible, of course, but she let herself imagine for a few moments that he was singing for her, and for her alone. No doubt every girl here was imagining the same thing, and in that second, she decided that if she could only be a fangirl, she would be. She would stand in the back of his concerts and watch. Ginny Weasley would take her life into her own hands and move on, and she would drink him in when he played, invisible in the back. She didn't want him, not without the memories, but if she just imagined, it would be as if nothing had changed.

_You are a disgrace! You shame your family! You disgust me! You will forget her, Draco._

_No, Father, I won't._

_Then I'll kill her. It's your choice. Forget she ever existed, or watch her die._

_He turned, and kissed her deeply, drinking in her face, her eyes; the way she smelt, the way she tasted. Goodbye, Ginny. He faced his father. Make me forget._

_Obliviate!_

She woke trembling from the memory. He had saved her life, but now he couldn't remember anything about him. When the war was over, and Lucius was imprisoned, he'd been ordered to reverse the curse, though no one knew what he had removed from the mind of his son. His refusal had cost him his life. The Healers, when she asked casually, had told her that the memories would never return.

Ginny wished that someone would obliviate her. Draco may have forgotten her existence, but she was unable to forget his. She still wore the ring he had given her on a chain between her breasts. It was a meaningless token now, but at the time it had been a symbol of hope. They'd hoped that after the war, they could be together. The large ring was clearly a man's ring, and equally clearly, it was a Malfoy ring. Only Luna had seen it, and only Luna knew. Not even Ron knew.

When Ron crossed her mind, she groaned. He was Captain of the Chudley Cannons, who were in second place in the league for the second year in a row, and he was hounding her to come play since one of their Chasers had fallen badly and then cursed half the other team and stormed off, only to collapse a few feet away. She had agreed to go to a trial that morning, at the insanely early hour of 5 a.m. That left her less than an hour to dress, eat and warm up.

Eventually, she made it to the field. The Cannons weren't her first choice of a team - she'd have rathered play for the Holyhead Harpies. Unfortunately, as an inexperienced rookie, she was banking on her family and friends to get her a spot on the main team. She could have chosen Puddlemere United, where Oliver Wood was Captain (and a hero to both Ron and Harry), or Pride of Portree, where Harry was Captain, but she'd gone with the Cannons. She could always be traded, and she hated to upset Ron.

After a flawless trial, Ginny was happily accepted into the Chaser position by unanimous approval and given her grueling schedule. She was happy to note that Fridays through Sundays were off, so she would still be able to attend the concerts. Even better, the team was doing extremely well, and so salaries were high, meaning she would be able to afford her own flat as well as the increasingly expensive concert tickets.

Ginny trained, and she flew. In games, she performed flawlessly, and soon, she began to gain attention again. As a Weasley, she would always be the war hero, and she supposed she was, in a way. She'd been at the Ministry, she'd fought in the last battle. Other than Harry, she'd been the first to face Voldemort after his initial downfall. Ginny hated this publicity, and Harry, Ron, Wood and the other captains got together to examine the press policy concerning their teams. Media attention to Ginny was to go through the Cannons' press advisor for approval, and it was to be limited to Quidditch performance. She was immensely grateful for the reprieve, since the latest gossip was that Harry was cheating on his fiancee with his "old flame". Namely, one Ginny Weasley. With the attention off her, Ginny bided her time until Reformed got closer. She couldn't very well go to Australia, but in three weeks' time, they'd be on the continent on their return journey.


	3. He Notices Her

Summary: War brings them together and tears them apart. Years later, Draco rises to fame and Ginny is drawn back to the man who has forgotten her. Not quite a songfic but there is a definite soundtrack.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but the characters and background are the property of JKR. All of the lyrics are borrowed from artists, though I've changed a few words here and there to make them fit.

A/N: All the characters might seem a little OOC, especially Draco, given that he's never really indicated that a career as a singer is in the books, but the plot bunnies attacked and I couldn't help it. Please read and review!

* * *

**Chapter 3: He Notices Her**

A year later, Ginny had become such a fixture at the concerts that Daphne had noticed, and she'd told Theo and Blaise. They anxiously watched Draco - they didn't know about the memory charm, but they had witnessed the relationship be torn apart without any care on his part. He seemed, for the moment, unaware, and they were relieved. For Ginny's part, she had got her own flat and was largely left alone by the press, though they still enjoyed publishing photos of her pulling dangerous stunts.

It was a concert at a pub in London when it happened. The back of the room wasn't quite far enough away for her to escape notice. She sat quietly at a table, sipping at a butterbeer when Reformed came on singing "SSSlytherin", and she had turned to watch them. Suddenly, brown eyes met silver, and his flawless smile faltered. Ever the performer, Draco kept singing, but she could tell by the flicker in his eyes that she'd made a mistake. She'd broken her own rules, and now she was putting him at risk. Ginny got up and left quickly, so she never knew that he came looking for her after the show. She didn't know that he'd demanded his friends to tell him who she was.

"I know her, dammit!" he yelled, "She's been there every show, but I know her somehow. Who is she?"

The other three were horribly confused until the truth dawned on Blaise. He shrugged. "She's a Quidditch player - Chaser for the Cannons. You've probably seen her in the Prophet."

"What's her name?" he demanded.

"Ginny Weasley," replied Theo, not thinking. He choked as Daphne kneed him in the leg. "I mean..."

"Weasley you said?" asked Draco curiously, "I'd forgotten there was a girl in that family. Wasn't it just the six boys?"

They all shrugged in reply, uncertain how to handle the situation. Draco left to change, and Blaise turned to his friends. "Merlin, that's what his father made him forget. He doesn't remember her at all, but-"

"She can't forget," replied Daphne sadly. "Alright, boys. I have something to take care of, so take him home and make sure he stays there."

"What are you going to do? Lucius' memory charm could be cursed, and you don't know what might happen to Draco."

She sighed. "I know that, Blaise. I'm just going to talk to her. I don't even know if she knows why things ended. And besides, I don't think the charm worked completely. It's blunt - he doesn't even remember her existence, and based on his song lyrics, I feel like the memories might not be completely gone at all. But the two of you just keep your mouths shut for now, okay?"

They both nodded their assent and she vanished, Apparating away to the Burrow.

* * *

A/N: I know it's super short, but I'm putting up half the story now so I think it's ok.


	4. Over Tea and In Confidence

Summary: War brings them together and tears them apart. Years later, Draco rises to fame and Ginny is drawn back to the man who has forgotten her. Not quite a songfic but there is a definite soundtrack. This chapter and the last have been sort of lacking in songs, but bear with me. The last couple chapters are loaded.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but the characters and background are the property of JKR. All of the lyrics are borrowed from artists, though I've changed a few words here and there to make them fit.

A/N: All the characters might seem a little OOC, especially Draco, given that he's never really indicated that a career as a singer is in the books, but the plot bunnies attacked and I couldn't help it. Please R&R!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Over tea and in confidence**

She knocked on the door, and Molly Weasley answered sleepily. Daphne winced, having forgotten that it was the wee hours of the morning.

"Can I help you?" asked Molly slightly irritably.

"Is Ginny in?"

"Are you a reporter?"

"No. I went to Hogwarts with her, and I have something important to tell her."

"Can't you owl her?" Clearly the youngest Weasley loathed publicity, because her mother was incredibly suspicious.

"I need to see her. Please? I'll make an Unbreakable Vow to never publish anything I find out tonight or otherwise from or about her if you want."

The Weasley matriarch seemed satisfied with this. "No, no dear that's alright. She doesn't live here anymore - she's got a little flat in Diagon Alley in one of those new condos."

Daphne whistled softly. "Wow. Expensive."

Molly shrugged and handed her the address. "Here it is. Make sure you knock first, or she'll probably curse you."

The young woman flinched, remembering Bat Bogeys, and thanked Molly before Apparating to Diagon Alley. She climbed the stairs to Ginny's flat and knocked on the elegantly polished door.

Unsurprisingly, Ginny looked shocked and slightly scared but opened the door. "Daphne Greengrass," she said softly, "Please come in. Can I get you some tea?"

Daphne was momentarily sidetracked by this pureblood tradition of tea before a good chat. "Yes, please. Do you have decaf?"

"I have herbal - do you like peppermint?"

"Yes, thank you."

Ginny prepared the tea with a few flicks of her wand, and Daphne admired the main room of her flat. It was expensive, but tastefully modest, and there were flowers everywhere. On the wall hung posters of all of the main Quidditch teams. In the one to the left, Harry Potter led his team, arm outstretched for the snitch. In the centre one, Ron Weasley and Ginny's hair clashed horribly with the orange robes as they did fabulous stunts.

"So," said Daphne as Ginny sat down with the tea, "I saw you tonight. And every other night since we've been on the continent."

Ginny looked at her hands, and then she pulled a chain out from under her robes. On the chain hung a heavy silver ring that Daphne knew without needing to see the snake curling around the M.

"He asked me to wait for him," replied Ginny, looking Daphne dead in the face, "And Lucius overheard. He told Draco that he'd have to choose. Either I would die, or Draco would have to forget me. He chose to save me, and gave me a chance to get away. But he doesn't remember."

Ginny let out a hopeless little sob, and Daphne was touched by the other girl's love. It had been when she was sixteen, but Daphne knew that at sixteen, both Ginny and Draco had been adults, prematurely aged by war. Now, she carried his ring and watched him at his happiest, but never came closer.

"So you come watch us play."

"If I have to be just another invisible fangirl in the crowd, so be it. I can't make myself stay away, even though it kills me to go. I sit there and pretend that his words are for me, even though I know its' impossible."

Daphne moved to sit beside Ginny to comfort the younger girl. "Ginny, I don't think it is. Its a long shot, but when he saw you tonight, he said that he'd seen you somewhere before. And he's certainly not writing about anyone else. If you ask him, he says this girl in his dreams. Who knows - it may be you. But it's up to you. We'll make sure he stays away from you and forgets if you want. If you want him to remember you, keep coming to our concerts. Next week will be the perfect chance. Stand in the front row, right where he can't miss you. You'll never fade in with that hair, so give it a chance. After the show, come for dinner with us. I'll introduce you as having gone to Hogwarts with us."

Ginny looked desperately into the other witch's eyes. "Please, Daphne. Please do that for me if there's any chance."

When she left later that evening, the plan was set. Daphne was proud of herself. She'd always supported the relationship, and the sudden end had disconcerted her beyond belief. She'd now gotten answers and a possible solution, so she went home happily and owled Blaise and Theo to fill them in.

Behind her, she left Ginny distraught. The younger witch promptly Flooed Luna. When the blonde girl came to the fireplace, she looked sleepy and worried, and behind her came someone that Ginny faintly recognized as Rolf Scamander.

"Luna," she said desperately, despite the situation, "Luna please come."

Luna obliged, and within an hour, Ginny was drinking her third cup of tea and was thoroughly calm.

"Alright, enough about me," said the redhead firmly, "Why was Rolf Scamander in your flat?"

Luna had the grace to blush dreamily. "I think it may have been the nargles," she confided quietly, "We ran into each other today, and he asked me for coffee, and then one thing turned into another, and... well, you know."


	5. A Drunken Mistake

**Chapter 5: A Drunken Mistake**

In the morning, Ginny got up early to make both of them pancakes, and while they were eating, the morning post arrived. She smiled. Usually she missed the post, Ron being the slave driver that he was, but occasionally it came early enough for her to read it.

She glanced at the headlines of the Prophet, and finding nothing of interest, she flipped to the sports section. The front page was adorned with Harry's face, jubilant as he caught the snitch. It was announcing the win of Pride of Portree against Puddlemere United, but more interesting was the article speculating on the odds of the upcoming Cannons/Prides game. It was coming into playoff season soon, and so the competition was tight. She frowned at the notice that team profiles would be published in a few days, and made a mental note to call her press advisor.

After handing Luna the paper, she glanced at her other mail.

"Bills, bills, paycheck," she said, sorting though them, "An owl from Percy, one from Mum... oh!" exclaimed Ginny, making Luna look up, "Daphne owled me."

"Well what does it say?"

"She wants me to go for drinks with her tonight."

"You should go, Gin," replied Luna dreamily, "She's quite nice, really. And I'll be out with Rolf again, so you'd be alone. Look at this, will you?

Ginny grinned at the sudden change of topic and grabbed the proffered magazine. She gasped. A full spread about Reformed had been done in Witch Weekly, and it featured an article on Draco's mystery "dream" girl. Speculations ranged from Daphne herself, to Pansy Parkinson, to ridiculous things, like his mother and Harry. She giggled, reading the article, but felt vaguely sad at the same time.

"Ginny, haven't you got to go?"

She looked at the clock. "Bloody hell!" yelled Ginny, quite rudely, and dashed for the shower. Ten minutes later, she Flooed to the stadium, hair still damp.

She barely made it onto the pitch in time, but Ron was busy berating a junior reporter from Witch Weekly to notice. After the falsely blonde witch (with robes that had obviously been magically enhanced) slunk away, he turned to the team.

"Alright, everyone. As you know, the match with Portree is coming up, and we've got to win it. The last time the Cannons won the cup was over fifty years ago, but I intend to make us the team that changes that. Portree is a brilliant team, but we're better. We work harder, we train longer, and we fly better. A full team of amazing players is better than a single star, and as much as I love Harry Potter, our team is simply stronger. So this week, we'll train harder than we ever had, and on Tuesday, we'll win. That'll put us first in the playoffs, and if we can keep it up, we've got the cup. We shall conquer," he finished, pumping a fist in the air.

Ginny smiled fondly at the motto, but cheered with her teammates and flew out onto the field. It was a closed practice, so there was no one to see, but Ginny was on fire. Other girls probably would have let their personal lives intrude on their careers, but Quidditch was not a career to Ginny, it was a passion. She'd never been one to break down for long, and flying was like freedom.

Ginny and one of the beaters were the only female players on the team, but they truly shone. Ginny flew flawlessly this practice, performing a perfect Hawkshead Attack Formation, finally performing an excellent reverse pass, and even leading her teammates in some new tactics that had been devised in the paddock behind the Burrow - the Weasley Roll, where the Chaser would fly directly at the opponent and then roll under his or her broom to drop the Quaffle to a supporting chaser, the Long Feint, in which one Chaser would pretend to throw a fairly weak long shot at one goal post, only to have it be caught by another Chaser and thrown in the opposite direction. She had to admit that Ron was right - the Cannons were a better team than the Prides.

The best part of her day was when Ragmar, the team manager, announced a change in the Cannons uniforms. Instead of the hideous orange that both cancelled out and clashed horribly with her hair, the robes would now be a deep crimson with gold canon balls. She noticed this suspiciously Gryffindor shift without much concern, knowing the fans would despair but recover.

* * *

When Ginny finally went home, it was in much higher spirits than when she left. Of course, she still loved him, and he still forgot. His voice still haunted her too much as it came out of the radio, and she still wore his ring around her neck. But the fact of the thing was that Ginny Weasley was no pathetic, neurotic girl who fell to pieces and stayed broken. She didn't whine or snivel, because it was simply useless to do so.

She changed and showered, turning the wireless on as they did so. Apparently, due to enormous demand, there would be an entire hour of Reformed, an hour by the Weird Sisters, and then another couple songs of each. She cursed, still grinning, and ran her hands through luxuriously thick hair, lathering in her rose-petal shampoo.

She listened to "Like A Devil's Snare", which she hoped for Merlin's sake wasn't written for her, "Come Inferi or Come Death" which she was sure wasn't, "Amortentia", which she thought was for her, "Titian's Ghost", the latest single which talked about the redhead ghost who haunted his dreams - definitely her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the steam, pretending that his words were written for her and clinging to the hope that it might be true. The spell was broken when "You, Me, Firewhiskey" came on. It was a catchy number, but pretty much the farthest thing from romance she could imagine. Reformed's subjects and genres ranged from the mournful - "Not In Tea Leaves" - to catchy and rude, to poignant and honest like "Amortentia" or "Tongue Tied". They also threw in the occasional angry number, like "Die, Voldie, Die" and, more frequently, ridiculous and silly songs like "Merlin, its a Muggle!". Ginny knew all of the words, and as she dressed for her meeting with Daphne she danced around.

At eight on the button, Ginny met Daphne at a bar in Diagon Alley, and they chatted about nothing in particular - new Quidditch robes, prospects for the match, the song Daphne had just wrote - things like that. They also, somehow, got appallingly drunk.

"I think we're drunk," slurred Daphne to Ginny as they stumbled outside.

Ginny wanted to sit down on the ground. She wasn't sure how to get home. She actually really wasn't sure where home was right now. What was that address...?

"Sobering potions," said Ginny after a second, snapping her head up and stumbling, "Right."

"D'you have one? Cuz we can't Apparate like this, we'll end up in a million zillion bazillion pieces!"

Both girls were stumped, until Daphne came up with a brilliant plan. "Blaise! Blaise has some and I know his address."

Giggling and stumbling appallingly, they summoned the Knight Bus and headed to Blaise's mansion. After several unsuccessful tries to send a Patronus on ahead of them, they settled for shaking the gate until Blaise sent a house elf to discover the cause of the commotion.

"Bloody hell, Daphs," said Blaise with a roar of laughter, "Weasley, what did you two drink?"

"Um something with alcohol in it, I think," said Ginny unhelpfully, causing her and Daphne to collapse into a fit of laughter.

"Wait, wait wait wait wait wait," giggled Daphne, latching onto Blaise's arm, "It was something called a, umm, a Milkmead!"

Blaise rolled his eyes and hoisted them to their feet. "You idiots would drink something with a funny name before realizing that you were downing the strongest mead around diluted with firewhiskey. Let's go, ladies, and get you that potion."

After drinking the potion, Ginny felt horrible. Here she was, in one of Draco's friends' houses, imposing herself against Healer's orders, and drunk on top of it all.

It was right then, when she was determined to leave as soon as she got her wits about her that Draco Malfoy himself appeared in the fireplace. He chuckled as he stood, taking in the scene. Daphne was lying on the couch, looking horrible as the potion kicked in, and Blaise was trying to pour a Hangover Antidote down her throat. Draco's silver eyes widened as they took in Ginny, frozen halfway to standing.

"Who are you?" he asked in a whisper.

She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. He didn't remember. "I'm no one," she choked out, "Just another silly girl who's in love with you."


	6. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

**Chapter 6: Stupid, stupid, stupid**

She Apparated away before he could say anything, mentally kicking herself for being such an idiot. It was the first time they'd talked since Lucius had removed his memories, and she'd screwed it up. What she'd said had been cheesy and stupid, all at the same time, and completely useless.

Daphne owled her the next morning.

_Ginny,_

_I'm sorry - I didn't know he'd show up. But why did you run off? He was trying to remember you. He's trying to break out of the charm, but he can't do it if you lie and run off. You also made yourself sound like an idiot, but you probably already knew that. Anyways, no permanent harm - he's still fascinated by you. Even if he doesn't remember, would that be so bad? _

_In other news, Theo and I wrote a song that you should sing with him. I know you won't, but if all goes well at the concert, will you come by the studio to hear the two of us sing it? It's nowhere near as good that way though. _

_Please owl back to confirm the concert is still on, and I'll send tickets. How many? Just one, or shall you bring friends. It may help, but maybe not. Let me know._

_- Daphne_

Ginny scribbled back a note quickly.

_Daphne - _

_I know I'm an idiot. Working on that, but progress is slow. I'd love to hear the song, and I wouldn't miss the concert for anything. How many can I bring? I'll owl others and invite them if I can bring a few._

_ - Ginny_

She scratched off an invitation to Hermione and Luna, and headed off to work for a grueling day of fitness tests.

She was running beside Dana, the beater, at the head of the pack when an idea crossed her mind. The other woman was very nice, but they'd never done anything outside of work, and Ginny happened to know that there were posters of a certain Blaise Zabini in her locker.

"Hey Dana," she said, trying not to let Ron see them talking, "You like Reformed, right?"

The pale Irish witch glanced over and amped up her pace to distance themselves from the rest of the team. "I'd just like to ask you if anyone could not, because I know you certainly do - you know all of the words."

"Well on Friday night-" Ginny was cut off as Ron somehow figured out that they were talking.

"Ginny, honestly, just because your my sister doesn't mean you can talk!"

She gave him the finger good-naturedly and the girls ran harder just to show him they could.

They didn't get another chance to chat until lunch - it had been drills the rest of the morning, and hanging by one ankle upside down off one's broom wasn't the best place to talk.

"Gin, what were you saying about Friday?" asked Dana as she ran up, out of breath. Both girls grabbed their lunches and collapsed in the middle of the pitch.

"Are you free? I have tickets to their concert - front row."

"Omigod!" squealed Dana before she could reign herself in, "You are my hero, Weasley, my absolute hero. Didn't they cost you a fortune though?"

"Nope, they were free. I went to school with them, and I've gone to a couple of their concerts before, so Daphne and I got to chatting, and she offered me tickets."

"You know Daphne Greengrass? I wish I was her - those boys are dreamy."

"And she can sing really well - she'll be singing for the first time on Friday."

They were still chatting about the concert (and Ginny was purposely leaving out everything about her and Draco) when Ron and the rest of the team joined them.

"You're going to see who?" spat Ron unreasonably.

"Reformed, you dingbat," said his sister amiably, "And don't try telling me not to."

"But Malfoy-"

"Is beautiful," sighed Dana. Ron (who had long harbored a crush on her) looked suspicious, and then a cunning look stole over his face.

"Hey Gin," he said, still gazing at Dana, "Can you get an extra ticket? I'd like to see what the fuss is all about."

"Sure, Ron! You'll love it - we're in the front row, so if you reach up, Draco might touch your hands!" replied Ginny. She winced - she hadn't meant to use his given name so easily. Fortunately, Ron didn't notice.

"Ew, nevermind."

The whole team laughed at that, and Ginny let herself become excited. Eventually, the list for the concert became Ginny, Dana, Luna, and Hermione. She was waiting for them at her flat when she realized what she was doing.

She was going to see Draco again, and try not to muck it up this time. She had another chance.


	7. Separate Ways (Obliviate)

**Chapter 7: Separate Ways (Obliviate) **

* * *

They got into their reserved seats amidst looks of envy and waited for the show to begin. Dana and, surprisingly, Hermione, disintegrated into fangirl talk. Hermione thought that Theo and Draco were better looking then Blaise, but Dana maintained that Blaise's arse was the nicest by far. Luna pulled out a copy of the Quibbler and buried her face in it, and Ginny merely fiddled with the ring between her breasts.

Soon enough, the house lights dropped, and the spectacle began. The first song had everyone on their feet screaming, and Ginny felt faint, being so close to him again. She noticed that his eyes turned to her most often, and once, they remained fixed in place for almost a full 30 seconds.

She noticed once again that every so often, he would smile that smile that she'd first awakened, and all of the girls in the crowd would go crazy.

Ginny became very uncomfortable in short order - between Draco's glances, Daphne's wave, Blaise's wink and the words of almost all of the songs, Hermione was getting very suspicious.

He was singing Titian's Ghost, now, and Hermione wasn't even shrieking, just looking between Ginny and Draco.

_Here in the darkness_

_Oh there's so many shades_

_Memories burn like faded flames_

_And die into the night, ooh and fly_

_Up so high, ooh_

Draco's voice intoxicated her, and she watched him, entranced. To him, she was a stranger. To her, he was her life. He had been supposed to be her future, but Lucius had killed any hope of that.

_Are you a ghost?_

_Or are you alive?_

_Would you be here for me_

_Be here for me now_

_Imagination_

_Or are you for real?_

_Just give me a sign_

_And I'll know _

She wanted to grab him and tell him that she was here. She wanted to make him remember, to do anything it took to be with him again, to be with all of him.

_Cool wind is blowing_

_Fingers through fiery hair_

_Standing in an empty room, alone_

_It feels like you should be there_

_Ooh alone_

_I wish you were there_

Fiery hair. He'd said her hair was like fire. He'd told her that he loved her hair, loved to run his fingers through it.

They switched directly from this song into "Merlin, its a Muggle", and the moment was lost. One of her favorite songs, "Hexed" was after that. It had nothing to do with her, but she liked it anyways.

_ Jinx me, make me weak-kneed_

_Jelly-legs._

_Charm me, you make me laugh_

_Cheering Charm_

_Hex me, make me fall -_

_Stupefy! _

They all froze for a moment, and everyone laughed. Ginny's peal of laughter drew Draco's and Daphne's attention, and the latter signaled something to Draco.

A new song started, one she'd never heard. The lights dropped to a red spotlight on Daphne and a white on Draco. The red made her blonde hair gleam the way Ginny's did.

_Here we stand_

_Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two_

_Sleepless nights_

_Losing time_

_I'm reaching for you, you, you_

Ginny understood - this was the song Daphne and Theo had written for her and Draco. Somehow, she'd managed this. Daphne sang in her place:

_Everything is gone_

_He erased your mind_

_Can you go on,_

_To find the love his curse divides_

_Someday love will find you_

_Break those chains that bind you_

_One night will remind you_

Draco looked panicked for a second, his eyes glazing, but he continued flawlessly, staring at Ginny.

_How we touched_

_And then - Obliviate._

_I know that he hurt you_

_True love won't desert you_

_You know I still love you_

_Though we touched_

_And then - Obliviate._

Ginny thought her heart would stop with the intensity of his gaze as Daphne sung again, looking heartbroken.

_Troubled times_

_Caught between delusions and pain, pain, pain_

_Silver eyes_

_Promises you made were in vain, vain, vain_

Everyone knew that the song was about Draco - everyone in England knew that his father had Obliviated him. Only Ginny, Daphne, Blaise, Theo, and Luna knew what had been erased, though Hermione was catching on.

_You must go, be safe, my love_

_You'll never walk alone_

_Take care my love_

_Miss you love_

Draco's hand was outstretched towards her, and she wanted badly to grab it and to kiss him then and there. As the concert ended with a final, anguished burst of sound, Ginny wormed her way out of the throng, tears pouring down her cheeks. She'd told everyone that she had something to do after, and the girls were going to her flat to sleep over in case things went badly.

Blaise was waiting for her, arms crossed and cheeks flushed. "Careful, Gin," he said anxiously, "When we were singing that last one, he remembered something, but now he's throwing up. It could easily be the curse hurting him, but he can't tell us what he saw. I'm not even sure he still remembers."

* * *

**A/N: Titian's Ghost is a very slightly modified version of Are You A Ghost by B*witched, and Separate Ways (Obliviate) is likewise heavily based on Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey. Hexed is a silly creation of my own. No copyright infringement is intended on any of these lyrics.**


	8. Flashbacks and the Ring

**Chapter 8: Flashbacks and the Ring**

* * *

Ginny nodded and followed her backstage. Daphne was sitting beside him, brushing back his hair, and Theo was sitting on the sofa, unsure what to do.

She ran to his side. She'd seen him like this before: when he wasn't sleeping at all, excitement made him ill. Ginny knelt beside him and rubbed his back, murmuring soothing things into his ear. She conjured a damp cloth and wiped his face after he was finished throwing up, and then handed him a glass of water. Unbeknownst to her, the ring had slipped out from under her shirt and was now dangling in front of his face.

Draco noticed this development after a second and grabbed her hand. "You have my ring," he said.

She flushed, and almost tucked it back into her robes. Instead, she just nodded.

"I wondered where it went, but... how did you get it?"

"You gave it to me."

* * *

_He was sitting in the library with Blaise, and a slight breeze made him look up. Standing by the window, the little Weasel was reveling in the wind. He was startled to feel a smile coming to his face. It wasn't often that he smiled like that. She turned, and gestured to him, smiling._

* * *

_Draco was lying on his bed, writing a Potions essay. She was lying across his legs, reading something, and he liked the way she looked, wearing his shirt, lying in his bed. The tingly feeling in his legs reminded him that she was cutting off circulation to his feet, so he sat up and flipped her into his arms. Their lips found each other, and essay and book both fell to the floor._

* * *

_She was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table, looking miserable. He smirked - the Golden Trio weren't around to coddle her anymore. They'd all left, and she'd been left behind. It wasn't until that evening that he'd felt bad for her. He knew what it was like to be alone._

* * *

_A knock came on his door, and he got up warily. Outside, wrapped in a blanket, stood his beautiful girlfriend. She smiled warmly at him._

_"I couldn't wait until tomorrow night," she said to him, and he enfolded her in his arms._

* * *

_"Draco!" she screamed. It wasn't in pleasure, and he winced as he applied the salve to the wounds on her back. She'd gotten a detention from the Carrows again, and they'd been anything but merciful._

* * *

_"Will you wait for me?" he asked her, holding out his heavy signet ring, "Will you wait even though Potter's back?"_

_"Draco," she chided him, "I love you. No one else. Just stay alive, and I'll be yours forever. Now we have to go before-"_

_His father stepped out of the shadows with an expression of disgust on his face. Draco stepped protectively in front of her._

_"Father," he said gravely. They were going to die. He knew it._

_"You are a disgrace! You shame your family! You disgust me! You will forget her, Draco," screamed Lucius, flecks of foam flying from his mouth in his enraged madness._

_The voice of his son was calm, determined. "No, Father, I won't."_

_"Then I'll kill her. It's your choice. Forget she ever existed, or watch her die."_

_Draco froze. He'd been able to deal with a fight to the death, or dying in each other's arms, but he could not allow her to be killed by his father's hand. His choice was easy, but impossible._

_He faced her, drinking in everything about her. He swore that somehow, he'd remember. With one hand, he stroked her hair away from her face. The other pressed her palm closed over his ring. They exchanged a look that meant everything. It said goodbye, I'm sorry, run away, it can't be. It said I love you._

_"Make me forget, Father," he said, turning to face the one person he hated most of all._

_"Obliviate!"_

* * *

Draco shuddered, and she drew him to her. He clutched his head in agony for a few moments as all of the memories rushed back, and then he looked into her eyes.

"Ginny," he whispered, and touched her face.

Daphne started to cry, and Blaise patted her on the back as Draco and Ginny stared at each other, trying to make up for three lost years of memory.

"You insufferable prat," said Ginny quietly, tears threatening to spill over, "You have no idea how much trouble I've gone through for you."

He lifted her in his arms, a radiant smile on his face. "Well, Ginny Weasley, I'll spend the rest of making it up to you. Will you marry me?"

She laughed at him. "You ponce, of course I will, but next time I expect a better proposal. And a ring, mind you!"

Theo coughed slightly, and tossed Draco a small box. "Here, mate. You bought this before the battle, and I picked it up for you. Carried it around this whole time, just in case."

Draco grinned, and set her on her feet.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley," he said solemnly, going down to one knee, "Will you marry me?"

She opened the ring box, and gasped. Inside was a beautiful, delicately ring of woven white gold, sparkling with tiny diamonds around a single solitaire diamond in the centre. It was beautiful, and an inscription inside read "I'll never let go" - something he had told her every time she'd tried to leave his embrace. It had been code for "I love you", back when he hadn't had the courage to say it.

"Yes."


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

* * *

**D**raco and Ginny were married three months later at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa Malfoy was in attendance with her new fiancee, a Muggle named Thomas who she'd been mooning over for years. Lucius, on the other hand, did not, being dead. The entire Weasley clan turned out, as well as most of the English and Irish Quidditch League. There was also a sizable crowd of fans, both Quidditch fans and Reformed fans, especially because the bridal party consisted of Ron, Harry, Blaise and Theo for the men, and Dana, Hermione, Luna and Daphne for the women. Ron and Dana nicely took themselves out of the way for a snog session though.

When Ginny got pregnant, she quit playing professional Quidditch and applied to learn to be a Healer instead. She occasionally sung with Draco, her voice being much nicer than any of her brothers had expected, but mostly focused on Healing, rising to a high-ranking position in fairly short order.

Draco's band continued to be enormously popular, despite the fact that their main man was completely taken - the story brought girls to tears every time it was told. After a while though, Daphne decided that she'd rather write for the Prophet, and the band sort of fell apart. They did the occasional concert, and still recorded some songs if the inspiration struck, but all of the members remained fast friends. Both Draco and Blaise got jobs at the Ministry, and Theo took over all of his father's assets (which had been held by a board of unreliable trustees) and made himself quite the success.

Looking back, Ginny had to smile. Things had looked so bad, so impossible, but everything had worked out for the best.

All was well.


End file.
